Overview of Employment Injury benefits in the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

Very often in the member countries of the European Union (EU) and of the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD), employment injury benefits are not provided by one unique scheme but by a diversity of schemes. In several European countries, work injuries are not treated through a dedicated Employment Injury program, but through the regular medical insurance system and/or through the sickness/regular invalidity insurance schemes. For instance Croatia, Netherlands and Romania provide permanent invalidity pensions through the regular invalidity pension scheme. The different policies of the EU and OECD members can be divided in five groups.

Countries where cash benefits are covered by specific employment injury schemes, but medicals benefits are covered by the standard health insurance. Rehabilitation benefits may be covered by health insurance or by schemes dedicated to all rehabilitations whether employment-related or not.

Countries where cash benefits are covered partly or completely by the standard pension scheme(s), often with specific provisions in case of employment injury. Medicals benefits are covered by the standard health insurance and rehabilitation benefits may be covered by health insurance or by schemes dedicated to all rehabilitations whether employment-related or not.

Countries where the main Social Security Scheme is responsible for one or more of the benefits. These can be like Mexico, where the Standard Social Security takes charge of every benefits, or like Portugal, where the Standard Social Security is only involved in the medical benefits.

Countries with a different approach than the ones described above. For example, Croatia provides cash benefits through both standard pension scheme and dedicated employment injury scheme, medical benefits through the employment injury scheme, and rehabilitation benefits through both standard pension scheme and dedicated employment injury scheme.